Saudi Arabian womenswear label Yasmina Q offers feminine pieces created using planet-friendly production methods and deadstock fabric.
“Carving out a responsible womenswear brand in Saudi,” is at the core of Yasmina Qanzal’s design manifesto. Based out of London and Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian designer is firmly focused on sustainability. “I think anyone starting a brand in today’s climate has a responsibility and duty of care to consider its impact on the environment and try to commit to change to protect our planet,” she explains. “At Yasmina Q our process is to consider the kindest options available to us when we design each piece and how we operate on a day-to-day level.” This includes using deadstock fabric to limit new fabric production where they can, and where they can’t, ensuring that any new fabric is responsibly produced and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. The brand also keeps production runs tight to prevent excess stock and only works with WRAP-approved and community-based manufacturers that provide training and a safe working environment. “We are forever learning and adapting as we go.”
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Case in point, the brand’s current drop, which revolves around a capsule loungewear collection. Conceived during lockdown as a direct response to the circumstances the world was facing, a percentage of profits are being donated to the FSC. The campaign features Saudi’s most famous sister influencers Thana, Sakhaa and Duaa Abdul and is focused on dresses – something of a signature for Yasmina Q. She says that she wanted it to highlight the bond between sisters and the intimacy between that friendship. “We found ourselves spending more time at home, close to our families and feeling a need for comfort on our bodies,” she adds.
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The brand’s feel-good factor also goes beyond comfort in the literal sense. “The Yasmina Q aesthetic is based around a sense of freedom and spirit. We want our customers to feel really good in the pieces we design and for the pieces to have a timelessness to them,” she adds. “We work a lot with bias cutting, making a relaxed contemporary silhouette. We love colour and the emotion behind colours and prints.” From her standalone store in Jeddah to the garments themselves, it’s clear that the pioneering designer is rooted in the Middle East. And she’s hopeful that Saudi’s Vision 2030 campaign, which is working to promote a diversified economy and includes The Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Incubation Programme, will help promote and support the next generation of local design talent towards establishing brands in local and international markets while also driving female empowerment. Explore Yasmina Q’s collections at yasminaq.com
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